Over half of Wal-Mart’s Canadian stores will stay open 24-hours a day throughout the Christmas shopping season, reports Google.com.

Some 192 of Wal-Mart Canada's 310 stores will offer around-the-clock shopping from December 1 to Christmas Eve, in response to customer demand.

The world's biggest retailer said 41 per cent of customers surveyed recently said extended store hours were important when choosing where to shop, according to Google.com.

The company said it will make a list of the stores available on its website, www.wal-mart.ca.

Wal-Mart's longer hours come as consumer confidence remains shaky in the face of global economic turmoil and a possible recession, the site said.

Many retailers are anxiously watching spending habits during the holiday season, hoping that shoppers don't scale back too radically.

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